Atheism: Individual vs. Group Identity

This is not intended as a strict dichotomy -- grey area is just fine --, but do you view atheism or aspects of atheism as being defined individually or defined as a group? This is about personal perception or ideals, and not describing how you think others perceive atheism.

I think the one thing we as a group define is who is an atheist. I would say that if you can't for whatever reason affirm that one or more deities exist then, then you are by default an atheist, which seems to be the definition that is most prevalent. I'd also say that one of the traits we tend to exhibit as the group who has assumed the title atheist for themselves is a strong sense of individualism and an appreciation of the natural world.

In my earlier days of free-thinking, I had "recruited" one young bright mind off xianism. He became so indulging in information about free thinkers. We would meet in the drinking hole and shred all faiths and deities into small invisible pieces. One Friday I meet my "convert" adorning himself with a rosary- that catholic beaded necklace with the a cross - I was little bit tipsy and I pulled off his neck and threw it as far as possible, scolding him of becoming xian-atheist. A week after I met a good Proffessor friend of mine, who by the way was the one who aligned my thinking away from deity worship, from our converstion a topic arose in line with free thinkers being that- free thinkers- individual human beings who wants to be, yes the common thread would be godlesness, but the these are free- thinkers. I felt so bad about my young bright mind, I had to go to him to apologise for making him after my likeness, I spoke with him at lenghth about individualism, freedom of being you and one's own ways of embracing atheism. My Point? I can only be in the atheists group, for getting other opinions and experiences (Like it happened with the Prof) but I am not going to be expected to represent the group or to be represented by the group. I am THE Atheist, I am THE Free-thinker. There are great minds in the atheists space whose thought I think are BS, some of them have created the environment by being some kind of pioneers, but some staff from their writing is just bull to me. I like that feeling, because while I was a xian- evengelical- I would find s...t in the bible and could not even think of saying that this is nonesensical gabbage! Now that I am free, I am not going to bow down to any god, be them of logic or science, until it makes sense, proveable sense to me, I will be sceptical. I regained my humanity, my sense of individualism when I started thinking freely.